Lecture 47 - Vedanta Philosophical Systems - I: Advaita Vedanta

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:21]Hello, welcome friends to this another lecture. Uh today there's a very interesting topic on Vedanta. We are going to speak on and discuss uh the issues.

[00:00:31]The topic is on your uh screen, Vedanta philosophical systems. This entire discussion is divided into two parts.

[00:00:38]Part one uh we will discuss about Advaita Vedanta, particularly about Adi Shankaracharya and his ideologies and philosophy.

[00:00:47]Uh agenda set for today's discussion in this particular lecture, what is Vedanta, characteristics of Vedanta philosophy, Shankara Shankaracharya and Advaita Vedanta.

[00:00:59]Concept of Brahma and Atma in Advaita Vedanta and many other uh issues like knowledge and uh its different sources and various concepts related to its and its practical applicability.

[00:01:14]So uh let's introduce the Vedanta philosophy.

[00:01:18]Vedanta focuses on uh basically Prasthanatrayi, the three-fold scriptural canon. Uh what we already have studied uh during uh our uh the introduction of the Indian schools of philosophy, we find that Vedanta philosophy one of the uh six uh schools of Indian philosophy.

[00:01:38]And this Vedanta is basically based on the three primary books, the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutra. And before Shankaracharya, there was another uh uh he was uh a very prominent figure, a Gaudapada Acharya uh during 7th and 8th century. He is regarded as the earliest formulator of Vedanta philosophy, but Shankaracharya uh from 8th century AD is considered the first great expounder of Vedanta philosophy.

[00:02:08]Gaudapada allegedly taught Govindacharya about Govindacharya's uh uh the concept of Vedanta philosophy, and Govindacharya was also the guru of Adi Shankaracharya. So in this background, we will try to discuss all these. All three are interrelated, Gaudapada Acharya's and then uh Shankaracharya.

[00:02:31]Vedanta Darshana, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. These three are known as the Prasthanatrayi.

[00:02:36]Vedanta concept is based on uh on these uh three primary books. And while discussing the Upanishads and Vedanta philosophy, we also uh had the idea uh that Upanishads are like the cows and Lord Krishna is the milkman who is providing us the essence of the Upanishadic philosophy in the form of Srimad Bhagavad Gita. So that's why Bhagavad Gita is also the uh basis of Vedanta philosophy and one of the Prasthanatrayi, the three books.

[00:03:09]Uh we know that Vedanta is one of the six major schools of Indian philosophy, that is the part of Shad Darshana. The term Vedanta referring to both meaning the conclusion of the Vedas, the last part, and emphasis on the last or ultimate aim of life that we have already discussed that uh Vedanta, the ant of Vedas.

[00:03:29]These were composed at the last part of Vedic literature.

[00:03:32]And also because since they concentrate on the ultimate aim of life, that is the achievement of the Brahm or the liberation or the Moksha. So both the meaning reflect the very name of Vedanta.

[00:03:47]Prasthanatrayi, the triple canon or basis of the thought, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutra.

[00:03:52]Then central concern of Vedanta is certain questions. Uh uh there are certain questions like what is ultimate reality, what is the nature of the self, Atma, and the absolute, that is Brahm, and how is liberation or Moksha is attained. These are the central uh concerns of Vedanta philosophy. Multiple schools of Vedanta philosophy also emerged in the later period, 8th centuries onwards, between 8th to 16th century under the guidance of highly influential gurus and teachers like Advaita Vedanta by Shankaracharya during 8th to 9th century.

[00:04:28]Then Sri Sampradaya uh by Ramanuja Acharya during 12th century, Brahma Sampradaya by Madhvacharya 13th century, and uh Hamsa Sampradaya by Nimbarka Acharya during 13th century, and uh then another by Vallabhacharya, that is uh and Chaitanya Sampradaya, that is Chaitanya uh uh Mahaprabhu by 16th century during uh Bengal and Odisha part. So various uh uh uh schools were developed based on the basic ideas of Vedanta. However, they had different viewpoints of looking at the nature of Brahma and nature of Jiva, Jivatma, or some of them schools are of the view that Brahma is one and only and Atma is the part of Brahma. There is no separation, that is non-dualism. But some uh schools uh like Madhvacharya uh Sri Sampradaya or uh uh some other people are of the view that he is uh Saguna and Lord Vishnu uh uh is uh has taken the incarnation in his nine forms. So in that way, God is also uh on the one hand formless and on the uh other hand, it is with forms. So uh dualism and both non-dualism exist at the same time. So in that perspective, in this uh uh discussion today, we will confine our uh talk only to the uh non-dualism of Advaita Vedanta by Shankaracharya and Ramanuja Acharya and to the Madhvacharya. We will not discuss the last three one.

[00:06:01]Characteristics of Vedanta philosophy uh would include it focuses on the ultimate purpose of life and the nature of ultimate reality, that is Brahm. It emphasizes Atma Gyan, that is self-knowledge, as the path to liberation or Moksha.

[00:06:19]It focuses on Gyan Kand, the part of the Vedas that teaches wisdom and knowledge rather than the ritualistic Karma Kanda.

[00:06:28]As uh we have discussed during the sixth Mahajanapadas, overemphasis was given to the uh logical reasoning or uh challenges to the overemphasis on ritualism. So during uh uh Mahajanapada period, Upanishads were also composed. So uh Karma Kanda were converting into the Gyan Kanda and uh up to 8th century AD, Shankaracharya is started his thought of Advaita Vedanta from the Gyan Kanda. So it accepts Vedanta philosophy accepts the six Pramanas as valid sources of knowledge.

[00:07:02]We will also uh discuss in forthcoming slides.

[00:07:07]Adi Shankaracharya in historical context because since he is the propounder of uh the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, philosophical situation before Shankaracharya was because there's a tradition in Indian philosophy, the Purva Paksha. So uh before Shankaracharya presents his philosophy, what were the situations at that time and the philosophical scenario between 4th and 8th century, ritualistic or Mimamsa dominated Vedic religion.

[00:07:34]Mimamsa Darshana is basically concerned with the ritualism.

[00:07:39]And Vedanta Darshana is the you know that uh knowledge aspects, cognitive aspects of the Gyan Kand.

[00:07:45]Buddhism and Jainism also gained a strong intellectual presence uh because they criticized the overemphasis on ritualism.

[00:07:52]Theism and devotion, that is Bhakti, were developing, but lacked philosophical unity. The concept of Bhakti was also uh uh very much popularized uh by way of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita's presence.

[00:08:06]And uh its manifestation, the uh the the manifestation of the idea of the three Yogas, and one of them was the Bhakti Yoga.

[00:08:15]So uh Indian thought faced a crisis at three issues. One is the ritual versus knowledge. On the one hand, Karma Kanda, and other is Gyan Kand. Then realism versus idealism, materialism or spiritualism. There was a conflict between both.

[00:08:31]And plurality of in the matters of the existence of Brahm, plurality or unity like polytheism, many gods, dualism, there is uh there are two forms of God, one is Nirakara and uh Saguna and Nirguna Brahma, and monism, one and only, God is one and only, and there's no duality. So these were the issues which before Shankaracharya, the philosophical scenario was dealing with.

[00:08:56]Shankaracharya belongs to uh 8th century, 788. He was born in Kalady, Kerala. Became a renunciate at at a young age. He was a Brahmachari.

[00:09:07]He traveled across India debating philosophers from one place to another place, and the the uh the tradition of uh Shastrarth was followed by Shankaracharya in order to establish his viewpoint of Advaita Vedanta. And his very famous Shastra Shastrarth with Mandana Mishra uh and uh his wife uh Mandana Mishra's wife, Bharati Devi, is very popular in Indian knowledge traditions. Adi Shankaracharya established four Peeth monasteries, that is a specific contribution of Shankaracharya's, with the aim of preserving and propagating Vedic knowledge across India. Today we find the Vedic knowledge and a lot of contribution goes to Adi Shankaracharya.

[00:09:48]So in the four corners of India, uh you see that Shankaracharya, Adi Shankaracharya established these four Peeth at Dwarka, at uh uh at you see that uh Jyotishmat and Sringeri Math and Puri in four corners of India as is visible on your screen.

[00:10:07]Then each monastery was assigned to be the custodian of one of the four Vedas.

[00:10:13]One monastery associated to one Vedas as is obvious, the table is on your screen.

[00:10:20]You may have a glimpse that Govardhan Peeth is associated with the Rigveda and Dwaraka Peeth to the Samaveda and Sringeri or Sharada Peeth with the Yajurveda and and so on. So, what was the aim of Shankaracharya? Um two three aims were there why Shankaracharya established these Peeths and why he established his idea of Advaita Vedanta.

[00:10:43]To reconcile the apparent contradictions in the scriptures and established that the self Atma is identified with Brahma.

[00:10:53]Freedom is achieved through knowledge that is Gyan, not ritual, that is Karmakand. So, that was the overemphasis on the achievement of knowledge.

[00:11:02]So, what is the philosophy of Shankaracharya particularly known as Advaita Vedanta?

[00:11:08]Major works of Shankaracharya would include the Bhashyas or commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutra and some separate works or independent works were also there. Vivekchudamani and Upadesha Sahasri and Atmabodha independent treatises are there.

[00:11:25]Core principles what Shankaracharya established are on your screen regarding the Brahma, Atma, Maya, Avidya, Moksha.

[00:11:32]We are going to discuss them in detail.

[00:11:35]So, what is the genesis of Advaita? 7th century Gaudapada Acharya wrote Mandukya Karika. This is one of the famous books.

[00:11:43]He discussed that there was no duality.

[00:11:46]Awake or dream, the mind moves through illusion, that is Maya, and only non-duality or Advaita is the final truth.

[00:11:54]An individual soul is temporarily delineated as the space that a jar contains is delineated from the main space. Once the jar is broken, the space within the jar merges with the vast space. This was the idea given to to the world of philosophy at that time that God is Advaita.

[00:12:16]There is no duality between Atma and Paramatma. He is the part of we are or every object of the world or this universe is the part of Paramatma, that is Brahma. And he gives an analogy like on your screen there is a picture of a jar. You see that the atmosphere or the air inside the jar is just confined by the glass boundaries.

[00:12:42]Suppose the jar is broken. What will happen? Then the atmosphere inside is merged with the atmosphere outside. So, this is the analogy of the Brahma.

[00:12:51]Whatever differences we find in and around us, that is because of such boundaries and such boundaries is known as the Avidya or the Agyana or the ignorance. So, this is one analogy to establish the non-duality between Atma and Paramatma.

[00:13:08]Analogy of the empty jar. Then Shankara gave more strength to Advaita Vedanta.

[00:13:13]Shankara starts his discussion not with any logical analysis but directly from the absolute Brahma. He doesn't give any analogy because he was of the view that Brahma cannot be compared to any any analogy or any idea. So, he just starts his idea. The real is that whose negation is impossible.

[00:13:32]Material world reality is actual false like mistaken a rope for a snake.

[00:13:38]Shankaracharya and Advaita philosophy gives this analogy to in order to understand that why there is a difficulty in order to understand the non-duality of the Brahma because of the Avidya, that is Agyana. So, sometimes as a rope is considered as a snake and in the picture you may also see that if you just look at the rope when there is less light or during the time of evening, so anybody may be confused because of the illusion of a rope with a snake. So, this is the very famous analogy.

[00:14:13]And Brahma is outside time, space and causality.

[00:14:18]That is the idea. Then what is not real?

[00:14:21]It's Maya. World is not real, it's Maya.

[00:14:24]In the views of Shankaracharya, he strongly supports that the world is not real but illusion. Logically analysis is a statement. Whatever remains eternal is true and whatever is destroyed is non-eternal and is untrue. As the world is created and destroyed, it is not real. This is the example what Shankaracharya gives that Brahma is real because he is he is not destroyed. He cannot be destroyed. He's not perishable and world is perishable. It can be destroyed.

[00:14:53]That's why it's unreal because anything which is real cannot be destroyed.

[00:14:58]Truth is unchanging. Since the world is changing, it is not real. On the other hand, truth are the some permanent values are there. Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram. In that way, truth is permanent. It is unchanging. It never changes beyond the time and space. So, world is changing. So, in that way world is unreal. That's called the Maya.

[00:15:19]Things that are independent of time and space are real and whatever is in space and time is unreal.

[00:15:26]Just as one sees a dream in sleep, one sees a kind of dream even when one is awake.

[00:15:32]The world is compared to this conscious dream. Shankaracharya again gives this analogy in order to understand the idea of Maya. As we see the dream, inside the dream, whatever we experience, that looks like real. But when we wake up, we find that whatever we were experiencing, that was unreal. In the same way, this world is like a dream.

[00:15:54]Whenever we will wake up because out of the knowledge, then we will find that we were living in an illusionary or dream-like situation. This is another analogy to understand the reality of this world, that is Maya or the illusion.

[00:16:08]The world is superimposition of Brahma.

[00:16:12]Superimposition cannot be real. So, we will discuss what does it mean, that is the Abhasya or Pratibhasya.

[00:16:19]That looks real but it's actually not real.

[00:16:22]Then what philosophy of Shankara says?

[00:16:25]Advaita Vedanta teaches three stages of truth. The first stage is transcendental or the Parmarthika stage in which Brahma is the only reality and nothing else. The second stage is pragmatic or the Vyavaharika or the applied stage in which both Jiva, that is the human being or Atma, living creatures and individual souls and God are true and the material world is also true. So, these are the two stages and another third stage is the last stage, apparent or Pratibhasika, that is Pratibhasya or illusory, in which material world reality is actual false, actually false like mistaking a rope for a snake. So, these are the three stages of truth.

[00:17:11]To comprehend the essence of Advaita philosophy, we have to understand these concepts. So, in this particular discussion, we will concentrate on out of these five aspects, we will concentrate on Brahma and Atma and Avidya and Maya in this part one and in part second, we will concentrate on rest of the two. So, what's Brahma what is Brahma and what is Atma?

[00:17:37]Brahma is the Upanishads says emphasize the impermanence of the empirical world, what we see with the help of sense organs.

[00:17:47]Physical reality as we experience it through our senses, that is Maya.

[00:17:52]Whatever we experience, whatever we see, whatever we hear, that's nothing but the illusion. And everything is Maya. That depends on our perception. Like in you see that everybody has his or her own perception, the way he or she looks at the world. Like in the picture on your screen, if you just look at for a moment, you may see the some uh chess boards uh articles here, Shatranj, what you normally play in your homes. On the other hand, you may also look at the figures of human beings in between these objects. So, that depends on your perception, what you what you see.

[00:18:39]Both are unreal and both are just the you see this is the illusionary image.

[00:18:46]Beyond Maya, there is an unchanging reality that is called Brahma.

[00:18:51]It means to expand. Brahma and Atma according to Upanishads, Brahma is supreme spirit is not an object of worship in the usual sense of the term, but Brahma is meditated upon by the devout with profound veneration. By way of meditation, not by the sense perception, he may be realized. Mandana Mishra accepting Bhartrhari's thesis says that Brahma is language, that is Shabdadvaita.

[00:19:20]So, Brahma may be depicted in the form of a speech. Brahma is consciousness and consciousness is the power of a speech.

[00:19:27]So, Brahma is a speech of the whole universe, manifestations of Vivarta, that is a speech. Brahma was the central theme in Upanishads, that is the Gyan Kand. And in Chandogya Upanishad, Tattvam Asi, that thou art.

[00:19:43]Jiva is identified with Brahma. Brahma and the self are the one and the same.

[00:19:49]Then according to Advaita philosophy, there is no language to describe Brahma.

[00:19:54]It is like na iti na iti. That is the famous very popular idea philosophical idea of the Upanishads that if you negate every object everything then you will find the Brahma. So this is the way how you find out.

[00:20:12]Um then um Now therefore the description of Brahma not this not this because there is no other and more appropriate description than this not this not this because you cannot describe the nature of Brahma.

[00:20:28]You can just negate or delimit the other objects of the nature whatever will remain that will be that will be the Brahma. And a sculpturist was asked that how you can carve the God inside a a stone then he answered beautifully that I do not carve the image of God. I just um detach the extra element from the a stone and whatever I find ultimately that is Brahma or that is the God. So that is the way how to reach to the Brahma. Brahma cannot be described in the words nor in the speech rather if you delimit or you undescribe the other aspects then na iti na iti this is not this is not then ultimately a person a devotee may reach to that aspects through the meditation and other methods. Understanding Brahma is beyond the senses. He is the purest knowledge and illuminates like the sources of light. Four claims about Brahma are very prominent in Vedanta philosophy. Brahma is the fundamental principles of the universe.

[00:21:36]Kena Upanishad says then Brahma is the reality in all and all things are in Brahma. Shvetashvatara Upanishad says Brahma is the state of non-duality. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says and Brahma is ineffable. Kena Upanishad says.

[00:21:50]Brahma is the bliss. Brahma is self-existence. He is described as Satchidananda. Sat in infinite truth, chit infinite consciousness and Ananda that is infinite bliss. So Shankara sketches him at Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma. Taittiriya He takes the instance from Taittiriya Upanishad. Brahma is the truth, knowledge and endless. So Brahma is free from any kind of differences or differentiations. Brahma is neither Sajatya homogeneous because there is no second to him nor Vijatiya or heterogeneous because none other than him exist.

[00:22:26]None other than him exist means Ekam Evadvitiyam Brahma.

[00:22:31]There is second there is none to there's no one is existing except the Brahma. He is second to none.

[00:22:40]Chandogya Upanishad says it is one without a second.

[00:22:44]Advaita philosophy is built on the stronghold of Upanishads and Brahma Sutra. Some Mahavakyas are there very popular adages from the Upanishads Brahma Sutra starts with the Vakya Athato Brahma Jijnasa. I have curiosity in order to find out the God.

[00:23:03]Um so these are the Mahavakyas which are very famous Prajnanam Brahma. Insight is Brahma. Aitareya Upanishad.

[00:23:10]And then I am Atma Brahma. This self Atma is Brahma. Mandukya Upanishad says.

[00:23:16]Then Tattvam Asi that essence the existence are thou. That is Chandogya Upanishad says. And Aham Brahmasmi the ultimate knowledge of the Brahma. I am the Brahma. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. So this journey is the main purpose of this um um um whole discussion of what Shankaracharya establishes that his main purpose or main aim is to reach from Prajnanam Brahma to the Aham Brahmasmi.

[00:23:42]So philosophical theory of Brahma says he is bliss Ananda is Brahma for from bliss all beings are born by bliss when born they live and into bliss they enter and their death according to Taittiriya Upanishad. So the theory what is established on Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Shankaracharya Brahma is the one the whole and only reality.

[00:24:04]Other than Brahma everything else including the universe material objects and individual are false. Brahma is infinite omnipresent omni potent incorporeal impersonal transcendent reality that is the divine ground for all being and there is no separation between Brahma and others in the universe and in Turiya state there are certain stages the ultimate is the Turiya state. These are the states of the consciousness.

[00:24:30]The last state is Turiya state. Um one soul becomes one with everything else.

[00:24:35]That is called in Sufi philosophy that is Fana Fillah from Fana Fishaikh. So when you the when the soul merges up with the Brahma. So next level of this discussion is the Atma.

[00:24:46]What is Atma? From Vedic period Atma is interpreted as breath, soul, the principle of life and sensation. Srimad Bhagavad Gita also describes nature of Atma by the same by following the same principles na iti na iti this is not this is not. So Lord Krishna doesn't describe the nature of Atma in in a positive way rather he also takes the approach of the negative negative way. Um he describes Nanam Chindanti Shastrani Nanam Dahati Pavaka Nachainam Kledayanti Apo Nashoshayati Maruta. So what is soul?

[00:25:24]Soul cannot be destroyed neither by the fire nor by be I mean dried by the air cannot be destroyed by the Shastra or the weapons.

[00:25:35]So in that way cannot be burnt by the fire in that way. So all the attributes are in the negative way. Whatever is remains that is Atma. So this is the way how Vedanta philosophy describes the objects those objects that cannot be um directly described with the help of the word or a speech.

[00:25:54]To Upanishads Atma is part of the universal Brahma with the which it can communicate or even fuse identified with Brahma. So various aspects of Atma are described in that way.

[00:26:07]And um here the last point is important. It is like the when somebody ask to Shankaracharya that the philosophy argues that self is not an individual concept. Atma is only one and unique. So if you put the questions that so many millions and millions of people are having their own individual souls. So how they are not different from Atma?

[00:26:35]If Atma and Paramatma is same so why the different people are different on the basis of their Atma? So this philosophy replies it is like the same moon that appears as several moons on its reflections on the surface of the water covered with bubbles. Atma appears as different Atma in different bodies like the picture is on your screen you see that the same moon is reflected in millions and millions of the bubbles on of water on the water surface. So in the same way the moon is if you just without any comparison if you just take for analogy that it's Atma the power it is reflected in all the bubbles in all the Paramatma is reflected in all the Atmas.

[00:27:19]So this is another analogy.

[00:27:21]The self Atma is not this it is not that. Na iti na iti. It is unsizable for it cannot be seized in that way. We can already discussed we we have already discussed this aspects of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

[00:27:34]So conclusion so far Shankaracharya established that Brahma is the only ultimate reality and all plurality arises from Maya. He affirmed the identity of Atma and Brahma teaching that the true self is pure infinite and eternal.

[00:27:52]Through his commentaries he systematized Advaita Vedanta and restored the primacy of Upanishadic wisdom. He emphasized knowledge that is Jnana inner discipline and contemplation as the path to liberation. His philosophy provided a unifying spiritual vision influencing Indian thought, religion and education for centuries. So this is the end of part one. See you in the next part of the same discussion. Thank you very much for joining.